Topic: Front Page
JUNE 8 - It took over four months to finally happen, but the NYLISL standings are finally starting to flesh out. With most teams muddling around the .500 mark before today's action, two long streaks put the Massapequa Hitmen and the Oswego Lakers on opposite ends of the table.
The Hitmen reeled off five straight wins to take over first place on Sunday, but came back to earth after two straight losses to the St. Jack's Crusaders at the conclusion of their day. Nevertheless, Masspequa sits atop the standings at 11-6 and for yet another season, the rumors of the Hitmen's demise continue to be greatly exaggerated.
For the Lakers, meanwhile, the good vibes from a surprising 12-10 start were swept away by a 10-game losing streak that brought Owner/GM Sean O'Leary to the brink of insanity. A blockbuster four-player trade with the Crusaders may be just what Oswego needs to jump-start the engines, however; they finally broke the duck with a thrilling 3-2 victory in 14 innings over St. Jack's in the final game of the afternoon.
The Lakers added a legitimate top of the rotation starter in Justin Verlander, packaging Albert Pujols and Chien Ming Wang to secure the services of the ace right-hander. Oswego also received Miguel Cabrera in the deal, so the potent Laker offense should be able to offset the loss of the dominating Pujols.
For St. Jack's, the deal culminated what had become a four-year quest to right one of the biggest wrongs in franchise history. Owner/GM Jack Flynn rashly traded Pujols away in a fit of pique at the 2004 All Star celebration, a decision he has regretted for years. His return means that the Crusaders' offense becomes more dangerous, but it will be at the expense of a legitimate starting rotation.
In other action, both Wellwood and Gramercy continued their winning ways, while Floral Park's 3-0 start was wiped out by a disastrous 1-7 afternoon. Flesheaters' GM Jason Varvaro was dumbstruck by his team's performance, the nadir of which was being the victim of a four-hit shutout by the Crusaders' Carlos Zambrano. Flynn added that, due to the two trades made in the last eight days, Nick Swisher and Chris Duncan were being made available on the trade market. St. Jack's is seeking pitching and/or a third baseman.
